


Looking Past the Blindside

by AuthorForHire



Category: Ace attorney investigations, 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Comfort, Dadworth, Gyakuten Saiban 4 | Apollo Justice Spoilers, I don't care if shes an adult, Late Night Conversations, Light Angst, M/M, Miles Edgeworth absolutely adopted Kay, Minor Miles Edgeworth/Phoenix Wright, The last case, Those last four are only mentioned, but the true culprit is not mentioned by name, not really - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:21:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26538763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuthorForHire/pseuds/AuthorForHire
Summary: It was the faint sound of a news broadcaster’s voice that woke Kay up from her slumber. It was a dull, droning voice coming from the TV in the living area, nothing too exciting. However, the fact that she could hear anything other than the clickity-clacks of Mr. Edgeworth’s keyboard or the Steel Samurai theme warranted an investigation.(The beginning events of turnabout succession, but seen from the other end of the globe.)
Relationships: Ichijou Mikumo | Kay Faraday & Mitsurugi Reiji | Miles Edgeworth, Mitsurugi Reiji | Miles Edgeworth/Naruhodou Ryuuichi | Phoenix Wright
Comments: 4
Kudos: 143





	Looking Past the Blindside

It was the faint sound of a news broadcaster’s voice that woke Kay up from her slumber. It was a dull, droning voice coming from the TV in the living area, nothing too exciting. However, the fact that she could hear anything other than the clickity-clacks of Mr. Edgeworth’s keyboard or the Steel Samurai theme warranted an investigation. 

She stretched and rolled off the bed, grabbing one of the soft blankets off of it and wrapping it around her shoulders like a shawl. Mr. Edgeworth liked to keep the house positively freezing at night, and her “Jammin’ Ninja World Tour” tee shirt and black gym shorts absolutely wouldn’t cut it in his vampire lair. She looked around her room for anything else worth grabbing before making her way out the door with a level of stealth that only the Great Thief Yatagarsu could manage. The loud creak in the door immediately blew her cover, but she felt that since she had just woken up, she was allowed a pass.

She hadn’t meant to fall asleep so early, but it seemed like the investigation dragged on forever today. Not to say it wasn’t exciting (How could a rival bakery gang shootout be unexciting?), but it definitely went on longer than she would’ve liked it too. Mr. Edgeworth seemed to share the same sentiments judging by the way his eyebrows furrowed deeper and deeper and he became more and more irritable as time wore on, eventually snapping at one of the witnesses. It wasn’t a rare occurrence for Mr. Edgeworth to lose his composure for a few seconds, but today felt particularly bad. He kept checking his phone and his watch, muttering to himself and then getting frustrated when his “logic” wasn’t focused enough to finally finish the investigation. By the time they had reached the car, he had given her full permission to order something to be delivered to the apartment while he broke nearly fourteen German street laws. 

She finally made it to the tiny living room, the bright blue light of the TV illuminating the couch and a very...focused Mr. Edgeworth. He hadn’t fully changed out of his work clothes yet, but his jacket and cravat were laying haphazardly against the accent chair and his vest had been unbuttoned slightly. He was in what might look like a relaxed position to anyone else, but nothing about his body seemed calm at all. His arms were folded and tense, one hand flexing against the rolled-up sleeve of his dress shirt. His knee bounced up and down impatiently as the images on the TV captured his full attention.

Kay looked over at the TV. It was a courtroom (Big shocker there) with only reporters in the gallery. On one side of the room at the prosecutor’s bench sat a man with platinum blonde hair and a purple jacket. On the other side sat a short man with two piercing horns on his head and a red vest. Beside him was…

“Oh my god, is that Trucy?” She asked, plopping down on the couch beside the prosecutor, shoving several files out of the way and watching him jump nearly three feet in the air. 

Mr. Edgeworth relaxed and sighed tiredly, exhaustion evident in his eyes. “Yes. Apparently, she’s serving as Mr. Justice’s paralegal.” 

Kay blinked before barking out a laugh. “I’m sorry, Mr. _Who?”_ She wheezed. 

A small smile graced his lips, and Kay considered it another win for the Yatagarasu. “Apollo Justice. He’s Wright’s newest protege and Trucy’s newest... victim.” Mr. Edgeworth explained. 

Kay scoffed. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She said, wrapping her blanket more firmly around herself. She loved Mr. Edgeworth, but she was also ninety-nine percent positive he was undead. Nothing that breathes should live in this cold. 

The vampire in question saw the blanket and winced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.” He apologized. 

“Uh, I’m a little offended you didn’t!” Kay pouted. “Trucy-Fruit is finally on the big screen and you didn’t tell me?!” 

“It’s not for magic. Or, well, it is, but-” Mr. Edgeworth closed his eyes and titled his head back in frustration. “I assure you, Kay, if it was just a magic show, I think I’d be a lot calmer now.” He admitted. 

Kay stared at him worriedly as she crossed her legs. “...So what is this, then?”

“To the news? The first-ever run of the new Jurist System. It’s going to determine a lot of things.” Mr. Edgeworth explained in that stiff voice he used when talking to Agent Lang about prosecuting. It was a tone that implied there were quite a lot of emotions under it, but he had no intention of letting them show. 

“To us?” He continued. “This is our last shot to finally fix this mess. It’s going to determine… everything, really.” His voice dropped into a lower one, one he saved for when he was actually feeling what mere humans call “fear.”

His words buzzed in Kay’s head. Jurist system, Wright’s new protege, this mess…

“...Wait,” She started, eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. “You mean…? This is it? The big trial thing you two have been working on?”

He nodded, swallowing thickly. “Yes. If… If all goes according to plan, they will be forced to reopen the investigation into Phoenix’s disbarment.” The words hit Kay like a truck and she spun in the cushion to face him.

“What?! Why didn’t you tell me?!” Kay cried. “You were seriously just going to let me sleep while this was happening?!” 

Mr. Edgeworth winced as he looked away from her. Kay almost felt bad for snapping at him. _Almost._

“I...I apologize, truly.” He whispered. He sounded genuine. “But I didn’t want to fill you with false hope.” 

Kay blinked. “False hope? You don’t think it’s gonna work?” That wasn’t like Mr. Edgeworth. He never put that much effort into something he didn’t have full faith in. 

There was a brief bit of tense silence, Mr. Edgeworth’s eyebrows furrowing tightly as his mouth opened and then closed. Kay couldn’t tell if he was trying to force himself to open up or just didn’t know how to reply, so she stayed quiet. 

“Von Karma always demanded that I and Franziska foresee every move and play in advance. That way you’re never caught off guard by the opponent.” He finally muttered, so quiet she nearly couldn’t hear it. Kay frowned as his arm flexed tighter against his shirt sleeve. “I want this to work, no, I _need_ this trial to work.” He admitted. Kay noticed that he was shaking slightly.

“It’s been seven years. Seven years of people disparaging his efforts, seven years of absolute imbeciles thinking that he is nothing more than a cheating forger, and seven years o-of him beginning to believe them...” The prosecutor admitted in a strangled voice. He took a deep breath. “ _‘Always prepare for the worst’_ and yet I can’t fathom to think of what will happen if this fails.”

“...I think I understand,” Kay muttered into her knees. “You want to believe that everything will be okay, but at the same time, you don’t want to be disappointed, right?”

He nodded slowly. It wasn’t often that Mr. Edgeworth opened up about Manfred von Karma and all he had done to brainwash him and Ms. Franziska von Karma, so when he did, she tried to give him all of her attention and then some. 

They sat in silence for a bit, watching the battle between the blonde man and Justice. She kept her eyes focused on Trucy and wondered how she was faring in all of this. Was she scared? Did she understand how important this was or was she almost as clueless as Kay was a few minutes ago? No, Kay figured. Trucy had to know how big this was, or at least how much it affected her daddy. Trucy was strong, smart, and stubborn like a mule. Chances are she slotted herself right behind the defense's bench like she owned it and gave Mr. Justice no option but to agree. 

She pulled her knees tighter to her body, some of the nerves Mr. Edgeworth was feeling now draping across her like a blanket. She missed Trucy. She wanted to be able to see her again without the need for secrecy or Interpol levels of stealth. Trucy was the closest thing she had ever had to a little sister, and Mr. Wright was… actually, what was Mr. Wright to her? Kay had only met the beanie-clad dad a few times, but she knew there was something more behind those thick layers of snark and that bitter smile that seemed to answer every question and none at the same time. It was something that genuinely cared about her and Mr. Edgeworth, something that yearned to open up but terrified to let the walls down long enough to do it, something that wanted to love and to be loved but was still recovering from being too reckless with that want.

She wondered if Mr. Edgeworth knew how similar he and Mr. Wright really are. 

Seven years was a long time to hide. A long time to keep yourself guarded and locked up and an even longer time to be hated by everyone you came across. He and Trucy had been through hell back in the States and the idea that this trial could hurt them even more was terrifying to think about. 

The sound of a phone buzzing broke the silence and snapped then both out of their spiraling thoughts. Mr. Edgeworth picked it up and typed back a quick response. 

“Who’s that?” Kay asked.  
  
“Franziska. She’s watching as well, criticizing the defense.” He explained, setting it back down and staring at the television again.

Kay stared back at the TV. “Shouldn’t she be rooting for the defense?” She asked, tilting her head. He let out a small exhale through his nose. Maybe a laugh? Kay couldn’t tell. 

“You misunderstand.” He began to explain. “Phoenix is the only defense attorney to have ever impressed my sister, though she'll never admit it. She abhors the Japanifornian legal system for allowing his disbarment. So she’s likely expecting a lot from this newbie as his apprentice, and if he fails to do his job, I don't believe Mr. Justice will survive her wrath."

That sounded about right. She didn't know Mr. Wright when he was first disbarred, but she remembered the hushed conversations between Mr. Edgeworth and Ms. Von Karma when they thought they were alone. Franziska fumed and ranted about the foolishness of that foolish country while Mr. Edgeworth could only nod and agree with a haunted look on his face. 

Some yelling erupted from the TV from who she assumed was Mr. Justice. "Boy, he's loud, isn't he?" Kay muttered. 

"One of Franziska's many complaints." He remarked with a bemused look in his eyes. "Wright says it's a specialty of his."

"Um, is being loud really a specialty?" Kay asked, lifting an eyebrow. 

Mr. Edgeworth hummed, closing his eyes. "I'm… not too certain." He admitted. 

Silence again. Mr. Justice was good but Kay wondered if he knew how large the stakes were. Did he know that he was fighting for the Wrights’ lives? Did he know this trial was the buildup of seven years worth of suffering? Did he understand how much this meant to them?

She blinked as a lot of voices came through the television, the judge barked out for silence but received none. She had missed what happened, but judging by the way Mr. Edgeworth's eyes lit up, it was something important.

"What's going on now?" She asked, watching him take a deep breath.

"Mr. Justice just established that the murder weapon was on a stamp and not the coffee cup." He explained.

"What's so important about a stamp? Why poison a stamp to kill someone?" Kay muttered. This was a weird killer. 

"As a way to silence someone without ever making contact with them. Say, after an illegal bargain was struck." Mr. Edgeworth practically growled. "If Mr. Justice can get Vera to testify about who gave her the stamp, then…" 

"Then they'll have to reopen Mr. Wright's forgery charge!" Kay finished excitedly. "And they'll be able to find out who the real forger was!"

"And the true culprit behind Drew Misham's murder." Mr. Edgeworth finished, nearly breathless at the thought.

Kay sat back, eyes wide as the gravity of it all hit her. "Holy crap, Mr. Edgeworth." She whispered. “This is huge.”

Mr. Edgeworth let out a trembling sigh. "Seven years. Seven years worth of waiting and…" He was muttering again, getting lost in that brain of his that worked a little too hard most of the time. She nudged him with her socked-foot and he fell silent, biting his lip.

"Hey,” Kay said, forcing him to glance at her. He didn’t meet her eyes, but at least he was looking at something other than the television. She offered him a small smile. “It's gonna be alright."

"..and if it isn't?" He said quietly. The softness of his voice spoke volumes about the anxiety he must be feeling. Kay opened her mouth, then closed it again. Finally, she opted to shrug. 

"I don't know.” She spoked truthfully. “ But it's not our job to know everything."

Mr. Edgeworth scoffed. "Speak for yourself, Kay." 

"I'm serious, Mr. Edgeworth," Kay replied. "No one can know everything that happens or how to react to it. Nobody's perfect."

The word perfect had always been a sore spot for Mr. Edgeworth, but she really had to get the stupid word out of his skull. He was obsessed with it when they first met, and while he’s miles (ha) away from what he was, she could still see the way it clasped around him like a vice. She turned back towards the television. 

"If _this_ works," she made a vague gesture to it, "Then we're flying down to Japanifornia ASAP. If not, then we're doing the same thing." 

Kay turned back to face him and met his eyes for the first time that night. The storm of grey was filled with uncertainty and unease, deep in thought and yet all over the place at the same time. She continued. 

"I don't know if this trial is gonna work or not," She admitted softly. "But I do know that whatever happens, Mr. Wright and Trucy-Fruit are gonna need us to be there with them. And that's exactly what we’re gonna do."

Mr. Edgeworth's eyes refocused on the television. He bit his lip before letting out a deep sigh. "I suppose you're right." He said, settling back into the covers and the tension in his shoulders lessening slightly. 

"Nah.” She smirked dangerously at him. “That's Trucy and your boyfriend's job."

The prosecutor let out a low groan and rolled his eyes. "I never should've introduced you to them. Their terrible jokes are spreading." He muttered. 

"Nah, I think you just leave yourself wide open." She laughed, watching the news lady return on screen and announce that a recess had been called. Kay leaped off the couch, stretching her arms and sighing.

"I'm gonna try my hand at some hot chocolate." She declared. "I saw Mr. Wright make it a few times, I'm sure I can recreate it."

"...could you make me one as well?" Mr. Edgeworth asked, pulling the blanket that she had brought out with her across his lap. _Jerk_. "I could use the pick-me-up. Something tells me this trial won't end anytime soon, much to my dismay."

"Sure thing, Mr. Edgeworth." She grinned and then frowned. "But uh, it likely won't be as good as his."

He waved a hand dismissively. "We'll be seeing them in a day or two. You can ask him to teach you then."

 _In a day or two._ They'd be going home soon. Home to Japanifornia and the other half of their odd little family. The thought made her heart swell. Even though she was a full adult now, she couldn't help but feel a little giddy at the thought. The idea that Mr. Wright and Trucy could be wearing full smiles this time only made that giddy feeling all the more intense.

"And… Kay." Mr. Edgeworth called, turning to face her again. 

Kay blinked. "Yeah?"

"...thank you." He said softly. 

She flashed a smile. "What are number-one assistants for?" She said before heading to the kitchenette of their flat.

As she poured milk into a saucepan, she couldn't help but hope that the weird red boy with the horns was as good as Mr. Wright thought he was. She was desperate to see her beanie-clad dad smile more and for her possible-vampire father to actually be able to sleep one of these nights.

**Author's Note:**

> Miles Dadworth is my favorite thing to write. I have a Tumblr and Twitter you can reach me on @AuthorForHire and @AuthorHire respectively, though I'm far more active on Tumblr.


End file.
